Knoxville520.com

“FIRST THURSDAYS LIVE” at BECK CULTURAL CENTER

Knoxville’s best kept secret venue has to be the Knox County Public Library System. With opera previews, films, lectures, demonstrations, poetry readings, and live concerts, the Knox County Public Library provides a very unique setting for a wide variety of events.

The most unique library concert setting is “First Thursdays Live” at the newly renovated Beck Cultural Exchange Center located at 1927 Dandridge Avenue. Just blocks from downtown, Beck Cultural Exchange Center (Beck), founded in 1975, is home to a museum, library and exhibits relating to African-American history and culture, with a special emphasis on local history ~ and on the first Thursday of every month, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Beck is home to hot and smokin’ live jazz and rhythm & blues concerts! The atmosphere is intimate, comfortable and lively.

Last month’s performance with vocalist Sharon Mosby, accompanied by pianist Wendel Werner, Dave Slack and Terry Schmidt, was great fun as the vivacious Ms. Mosby explained to us about being “attitudinal,” and how to get our “rewind” on, while treating us to over 2 hours of old-school style jazz reminiscent of Carmen McRae, Joe Williams, and Jimmy Rushing, with little gospel touch Marion Williams-style.

On Thursday, December 7, Kelle’s Jolly Boy Bunch will be recording a live CD of soul/r&b/jazz covers and original material at Beck’s special monthly event. The band is comprised of Kelle Jolly on vocals and trumpet, Will Boyd on saxophone, Keith L. Brown on keyboard, Nolan Nevels on drums, Bob James on guitar and Glyn Loyd on bass. Michael Gill, music director for the Knoxville Museum of Art, has described Kelle Jolly as being “blessed with a silky voice and an infectious, energetic stage presence.” While a student at South Carolina State College, Ms. Jolly was inducted into the College’s Jazz Hall of Fame after being awarded Vocalist of the Year for four years consecutively. Kelle and the wildly talented Will Boyd, a member of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra and a University of Tennessee graduate student, recently performed at the Muroran Jazz Cruise and with the Japanese Sapporo Jazz School students in front of a Japanese audience of over 2000. At the upcoming Beck concert, Will Boyd will also be singing a duet with Ms. Jolly. Kelle’s Jolly Boy Bunch wants “to define the musical sound coming out of Knoxville today.” In addition to their Beck performance, you might find Kelle sitting at Cha Cha’s with Donald Brown, or you might find the band at the newly reopened 4620 club.

Admission to “First Thursdays Live” is $7 for Beck Members and $9 for non-members. Admission includes entrance to the museum and the show. Catering and refreshments are available and parking is free. This is a smoke-free venue, although the musicians are hot!

If enjoy live jazz and rhythm and blues, and you have never visited the historic Beck Cultural Exchange Center, “First Thursdays Live” is an excellent opportunity to experience this wonderful museum and exceptional music venue. Also, if you still mourn the loss of the long defunct jazz club “Lucille’s”, then you need to attend “First Thursday Live” at Beck. You are bound to recognize some familiar faces in the audience and you will be delighted with the quality of the music and the friendly atmosphere. Or, if you are looking for something different to do, at an early hour, mark your calendar for the first Thursday of every month and you will be “in” on one of Knoxville’s best kept musical secrets! You dig?

Beck Cultural Exchange Center
1927 Dandridge Avenue
Knoxville, Tennessee 37915
Phone: (865) 524-8461
Regular Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
“First Thursday Live” hours 6 pm -8:30 pm
Mr. Avon W. Rollins, Executive Director